A Center Report - We won't Argue Against Adding More Counselors, BUT... - Addressing Student Mental Health Concerns Involves Much More than Increasing the Number of Mental Health Providers

Oct 15, 2026

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The report argues that the COVID-19 pandemic demands a broader school responsibility for student mental health beyond rapidly hiring additional providers. It critiques one-dimensional policy efforts aimed at placing a mental health professional in every school while noting long-standing shortages across learning-support roles. Instead, it calls for schools to redesign approaches to emotional, behavioral, and learning problems by evolving MTSS into an integrated, equitable system of school and community supports, and it proposes initial steps for moving forward.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

The Need to Escape Old Thinking

Schools Need to and Can Evolve What They are Already Doing Moving Forward

Evolving MTSS

Organizing Domains of Support

Continuum + Domains

Some First Steps

Concluding Comments

A Center Report . . . We won't Argue Against Adding More Counselors, BUT ... Addressing Student Mental Health Concerns Involves Much More than Increasing the Number of Mental Health Providers (2022) The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that schools must play a greater role in addressing mental health concerns. In reaction, some policy makers are rushing to increase mental health staff in schools. A stated goal is to have a mental health professional in all schools. Given the long-standing short-fall in every category of student/learning support staff at schools, such agoal is being widely lauded. In the long-run, however, this one faceted approach is a marginal way for addressing the complex array of problems students and their schools are experiencing in the wake of COVID-19 . This report highlights the need for schools to rethink their current approaches to addressing emotional, behavioral, and learning problems. We outline how to evolve the current emphasis on a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) into a unified, comprehensive, and equitable system of school/community supports. And we offer some first steps for moving ahead. The Center for MH in Schools & Student/Learning Supports is co-directed by Howard Adelmanand Linda Taylor, Dept. of Psychology, UCLA. Website: [http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu](http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu) Contact: [adelman@psych.ucla.edu](adelman@psych.ucla.edu) or [Ltaylor@ucla.edu](Ltaylor@ucla.edu) Contents The Need to Escape Old Thinking Schools Need to and Can Evolve What They are Already Doing Moving Forward Evolving MTSS Organizing Domains of Support Continuum + Domains Some First Steps Concluding Comments We won't Argue Against Adding More Counselors, BUT ... Addressing Student Mental Health Concerns Involves Much More than Increasing the Number of Mental Health Providers It is evident from the many media reports that policy makers are trying to increase mental health staff in schools. For example, here are two recent media headlines: >Michigan schools hiring hundreds of mental health staffers >Plan to increase mental health staff in schools-250 million measure would seek to add 10,000 clinicians across state [California] While personnel increases in smaller states will be less dramatic, the tendency in most places is the same, namely to add a few more "mental health" staff. (At first glance, adding 10,000 in California appears like a lot, but there are a little over 10,000 schools in the state.) Given the long-standing recognition about the short-fall in every category of student/learning support staff at schools, schools welcome any increase. And the COVID-19 pandemic certainly has underscored that schools must play a greater role in addressing mental health concerns. The fundamental question is: How schools can best play that role? The answer involves much more than adding more mental health providers. In answering this question, policy making requires consideration of matters such as: • In addition to reacting to students’ emotional problems, what more can a school do to prevent emotional and behavioral and learning problems? • Schoolwide and in classrooms, what does a school need in addition to focusing on mental health concerns if it is to be more effective in addressing barriers to learning and teaching and reengaging disconnected students? • How can schools use whatever personnel and other resources the school and community can muster to develop a system of student/learning supports for meeting the needs of all rather than just a relatively few students? • What personnel will be still be available after the pandemic relief funds are used up, and schools are faced with the anticipated “fiscal cliff?” The Need to Escape Old Thinking As in the past, the increasing concern for students’mental health is generating short-term policies focused on one facet ofthe complex array of problems students and their schools are experienci

FAQs

Why does the report say schools need a role in mental health beyond hiring more providers?

It states that adding staff addresses only one facet of the complex emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges students face after COVID-19.

What policy approach does the report criticize as too narrow?

It criticizes efforts dominated by calls to ensure a mental health professional in every school and related services that are relevant but insufficient to fully embed mental health in schools.

What system does the report recommend schools evolve to improve supports?

It recommends evolving the multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) into a unified, comprehensive, and equitable system of school/community supports.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Mia